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1370: St Luke's, Waikanae, New Zealand

Mystery Worshipper: Cherokee.The church: St Luke's, Waikanae, New Zealand.Denomination: Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.The building: A 100 year old building in typical New Zealand colonial
style, erected on the foundations of the original church. Behind the altar
is a unique stained glass window depicting Octavius Hadfield, the missionary
who built the original structure, along with St Luke and Wi Parata, the
Maori chief who gave the land on which the building stands. The Parata family
burial ground is adjacent to the church.The church: There are three churches in the parish of Waikanae: St
Michael's at Waikanae Beach, St Luke's in the centre of the township, and
St Andrew's in the Reikorangi Valley (15 minutes toward the hills from the
township). Altogether they boast a congregation of about 500. Octavius Hadfield,
St Luke's founder, was the first priest to be ordained in New Zealand and
was reknown for his missionary work among the Maori tribe. He became Bishop
of Wellington in 1870 and Primate of New Zealand in 1889. St Luke's still
sees itself as an evangelical missionary church, with a congregation of
all ages.The neighbourhood: Located north of Wellington on the North Island,
Waikanae is said to be one of the prettiest towns in New Zealand. Deserving
of its popularity as a holiday and retirement destination, the town also
features outdoor sports, arts and crafts, and boating.The cast: The Rev. Hector Davis, associate minister and preacher
of the first sermon; Barbara Rudd, deacon; Darryl Gardiner, non-stipendiary
deacon; and the Rev. Brendon Parata, a descendant of Chief Wi Parata, who
preached the second sermon.The date & time: 22 October 2006, 10.30am.

What was the name of the
service?
Family Service. It was also a celebration of the church's 100th anniversary.

How full was the building?
Full to bulging. Extra chairs had been placed in the aisle and all were
filled.

Did anyone welcome you personally?
Initially nobody welcomed us. After a few moments, a lady gave us a leaflet.
A man dressed in civvies followed us in (we later learned that he was
the vicar!) and, as the church was almost completely empty at the time,
commented that there were plenty of seats, but did not introduce himself
or utter any words of welcome.

Was your pew comfortable?
It was hard and not at all comfortable.

How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
A music ensemble was tuning up and people were chatting animatedly as
the church filled up.

What were the exact opening words of the service?
Darryl Gardiner said, "Well, good morning everybody!" to which the reply
was, "Good morning, Darryl!" Mr Gardiner is the national director of Youth
for Christ and rather well known.

What books did the congregation use during the
service?Hymns for Today's Church, the New Zealand Prayer Book,
the International Bible. Words to the hymns were put up on a
screen via PowerPoint.

What musical instruments were played?
Electric keyboard and two guitars.

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy,
or what?
Informal and seriously happy clappy. It was a very vivacious celebration
of the Church and of people's faith. The Lord's Prayer was recited in
the Maori language.

Exactly how long was the sermon?
There were two! The first lasted 14 minutes, the second 16.

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8  Rev. Davis had forgotten his notes and spoke from memory. He
was not particularly dynamic but reasonably interesting. Rev. Parata made
some good points in his sermon.

In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
In the first sermon, Rev. Davis emphasised the history of the church and
the relationship between the Maoris and the Christian missionaries. "We
are here to worship, witness and serve," he said. The second preacher,
Rev. Parata, said that St Luke's had come from a legacy, and that irrespective
of the past we should look to the future. New Zealand society is comprised
of two people, and our legacy for the future should be from the fusion
of these two.

Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The second hymn, a modern piece, was repeated several times and was sung
with great gusto and genuine feeling.

And which part was like being in... er... the
other place?
Although not advertised, a communion service was included. Unfortunately
this seemed to be secondary to whatever else was going on, and as such
seemed to be tacked on to the rest of the service. Also, the clergy were
in formal robes because this was a special day, but this appeared at odds
with the informality of the service. It might have been better if they
had been dressed as they would have been 100 years ago.

What happened when you hung around after the service
looking lost?
We hung around trying to look as lost as we could, but nobody approached
us. In the end we talked to a couple who had been sitting in front of
us and who had shaken hands with us during the peace. The vicar walked
past us twice but did not speak either time.

How would you describe the after-service coffee?
An elaborate morning tea was served in typical New Zealand style, with
cakes, pies and biscuits. The tea was hot and served in proper cups. We
could not ascertain its provenance.

How would you feel about making this church your
regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8  The dynamism of the congregation was infectious and they were
genuinely enjoying their worship.

Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes, for the reasons given above. It was nice to see people worshipping
spontaneously and unselfconsciously.

What one thing will you remember about all this
in seven days' time?
Saying the Lord's Prayer in Maori.

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